Miles Harrington backstage before Les Miserable at Levin Performing Arts Society late last year.
Miles Harrington backstage before Les Miserable at Levin Performing Arts Society late last year.
Levin’s healthy musical theatre scene has spawned an aspiring young thespian who has been accepted into the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art in Christchurch.
Miles Harrington, 20, who has been a familiar face on stage in community theatre over the years, will take on a three-year Bachelor ofMusic and Theatre degree at the recognised academy, starting next week.
The former Waiopehu College student was following a dream in applying and auditioning for the academy, rather than following any of the more conventional career paths that might be available to him.
“I don’t really have a clue of where exactly it might lead, but I am open to the possibilities of career paths that might present themselves from this experience,” he said.
Harrington credited Levin’s “amazing” theatre scene for helping foster a love for the arts and for performing.
From a young age he had appeared in numerous plays and musicals in both the Levin Little Theatre and Levin Performing Arts Society, two organisations that stage multiple productions each year, while just up the road is Foxton Little Theatre, and he had appeared on stage in Ōtaki with the local theatre group there.
What started with being part of the ensemble led to major roles in recent years. He was brilliant as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, played the part of a spy in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and had a leading role in Frozen. More recently he was in Les Miserable at Levin Little Theatre.
“Levin has amazing musical theatres. I’ve been very fortunate. It’s given me the bug and the skills to pursue and do what I love,” he said.
Miles was from a musical family. The eldest of four siblings, they have all inherited a love of theatre and music to varying degrees from parents Joanne and Leigh, both accomplished musicians who are also familiar faces on stage with community theatre productions.
Goran (Leigh Harrington) and Boris (Miles Harrington) on the sage for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Levin Little Theatre.
There was always a lot of singing at home growing up. Mum was an accomplished piano and violin player and Dad played the guitar. Miles plays piano and guitar, too, but his passion is drums.
But of all the arts he is drawn to musical theatre and is a big fan of musicians, lyricists and composers behind some of the classics, like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stephen Sondheim, Sir Tim Rice and composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.
“I would love to write musicals and write songs,” he said.
